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Glljtrago  S^nlogtral  #?mmary 


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Published  Four  Times  a  Year,  January,  March,  May,  and  November, 
by  the  Chicago  Theological  Seminary 

Vol.  V.  NOVEMBER,  1911  No.  1 


The  Extension  N  umber 


MARVIN'  DAVIS  BISBEE 
Director  of  Seminary  Extension 


Entered  as  second  class  matter  31  March,  1908,  at  the  post  office  at  Chicago,  Illinois, 
under  the  act  of  Congress  of  16  July,  1894 

CHICAGO  20  North  Ashland  Boulevard  ILLINOIS 


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(Elficagn  QHpitliigtnil  ^mtttary 


Published  Four  Times  a  Year,  January,  March,  May,  and  November, 
by  the  Chicago  Theological  Seminary 


Vol.  V. 


NOVEMBER,  1911 


No.  1 


THE  EXTENSION  NUMBER 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

FORE-WORD 2 

RELIGION  IS  IN  THE  AIR.    Henry  A.  Atkinson 3 

RELIGION  AND  CHURCH  IN  THE  STATE  UNIVERSITIES.    0.  S.  Davis  6 

THE  RECOVERY  OF  VIRILITY  BY  THE  CHURCH.     M.  D.  Bisbee         -  9 

THE  EXTENSION  PROGRAM  OF  A  VILLAGE  CHURCH.    H.S.Mills        -  19 

THE  NEBRASKA  MINISTERIAL  RETREAT.    Edwin  Booth,  Jr.           -        -  22 

A  CASE  IN  POINT.    M.  F.  Scully 26 

SUGGESTIONS  FOR  STANDARDIZED  CORRESPONDENCE  WORK         -        -  29 


We  call  this  issue  the  Extension  Number.  The  picture  on 
the  cover  is  that  of  Director  of  the  Library  and  of  the  Seminary 
Extension.  We  recommend  that  you  read  this  bulletin  through ;  it 
is  more  than  the  display  of  our  wares;  they  are  not  in  the  front 
window,  but  in  the  background. 

Professor  Beckwith  expressed  the  conviction  the  other  day 
that  when  the  history  of  this  century  is  written  it  will  prove 
itself  the  real  Reformation  Period.  The  things  of  the  Kingdom 
are  being  extended.  The  horizon  is  dotted  with  clouds  the  size 
of  a  man's  hand  and  some  of  them  bigger. 

The  article  by  Secretary  Atkinson  is  his  impression  of  the 
Extending  Kingdom  from  the  vantage  ground  of  wide  travel 
and  contact  with  the  rank  and  file.  President  Davis,  from  op- 
portunities equally  varied  and  extensive,  writes  of  the  harvest 
field  in  our  state  universities.  Professor  Bisbee's  estimate  of 
the  church  "muing  her  mighty  youth"  against  a  mightier  en- 
deavor is  the  record  of  movements  that  have  shaped  themselves 
within  his  own  observation. 

Brother  Mills,  of  the  class  of  '77,  has  passed  the  threescore 
mark,  but  he  is  still  "seein'  things  at  night."  His  story  of 
Benzonia,  up  near  the  Frankfort  Assembly,  is  in  fulfilment  of  the 
prophecy,  "Your  old  men  shall  dream  dreams."  Avaunt  to 
Oslerism  and  to  the  whole  brood  of  biological  fatalists,  in  face 
of  facts  like  these. 

Mr.  Booth's  article  is  a  glimpse  of  the  Seminary  on  wheels. 
Let  the  appreciation  be  our  witness.  Mr.  Scully's  contribution 
concerns  our  mail  order  department.  Read  the  footnote  to  his 
article.  He  is  one  of  the  "rough  riders  of  the  Kingdom  of 
God."     The  west  is  full  of  them,  and  they  come  in  handy,  too. 

The  last  article  explains  itself.  If  it  suggests  a  "first  aid  to 
the  injured"  kit,  rather  than  a  physician's  case,  be  assured  that 
it  will  not  interfere  with  the  regular  practitioner;  he  is  seldom 
found  where  these  helps  go.  If  you  argue  that  such  service 
threatens  academic  standards,  the  reply  is  that  it  raises  the  effi- 
ciency on  the  field. 


THE    REGISTER  19 

crusaders,  reformers,  evangelists.  It  will  need  greater  men  still 
for  the  tremendous  ages  that  are  trembling  to  begin.  The  church 
of  Christ  will  see  to  it  that  they  are  not  wanting. 


THE  EXTENSION  PROGRAM   OF  A  VILLAGE 

CHURCH. 

Harlow  S.  Mills,  Minister,  Benzonia,  Michigan. 

We  are  just  beginning  to  realize  that  there  is  a  Country  Prob- 
lem. It  is  not  a  new  problem — it  has  existed  for  a  long  time ;  but 
it  is  pressing  upon  the  attention  of  thoughtful  people  in  these  lat- 
ter days,  as  never  before.  The  city  with  its  perils  and  possibili- 
ties has  seemed  to  furnish  the  great  problem;  but  we  are  coming 
to  see  that  the  problem  of  the  country  is  scarcely  less  important 
and  difficult. 

This  will  be  seen  when  we  consider  its  extent.  More  than  half 
the  people  in  the  United  States  live  in  the  country  and  in  the 
small  villages.  Agriculture  is  by  far  the  largest  single  interest 
that  our  country  has  and  more  people  are  engaged  in  farming  than 
in  any  other  single  occupation.  And  the  farmer  is  coming  to  his 
own.  He  will  occupy  a  place  of  greater  influence  in  the  future 
than  he  has  in  the  past,  socially,  financially,  politically,  religiously 
and  in  every  other  way.  With  the  telephone,  better  roads,  free 
delivery  of  mail,  improved  methods  of  farming  and  the  wide  dis- 
semination of  knowledge,  there  has  come  a  revolution  in  rural 
conditions  that  brings  the  farmer  to  the  front,  and  he  is  a  factor 
that  must  henceforth  be  reckoned  with.  The  country  is  the  source 
from  v/hence  the  city  is  recruited  and  it  is  vastly  important  that 
the  sources  of  the  city's  life  be  strong  and  pure  and  healthy. 

And  it  is  a  serious  problem  and  growing  more  so.  Fifty  years 
ago  most  of  the  people  living  in  the  country  went  to  church.  Long 
processions  of  teams  drove  in  from  the  country  on  the  Sabbath  and 
the  village  church  and  the  long  lines  of  horsesheds  behind  the 
church  were  full.  Now  the  sheds  are  empty  and  falling  to  decay 
and  many  of  the  churches  are  in  a  similar  condition.  The  rural 
districts  around  many  of  our  small  towns  and  villages  are  a  moral 
and  a  spiritual  waste.     Sunday  is  a  day  of  sports  and  visiting  and 


2b  THE   REGISTER 

often  the  usual  work  goes  on.  Foreigners  are  displacing  the  na- 
tive born  and  unless  something  is  done  to  check  the  downward 
tendency,  the  outlook  is  not  encouraging. 

This  country  problem  must  be  solved  by  the  village  church. 
It  is  a  problem  for  the  village  pastor  more  than  for  anyone  else. 
If  ever  the  country  is  thoroughly  evangelized — if  ever  the  moral 
and  spiritual  condition  of  the  rural  regions  is  what  it  ought  to  be, 
it  must  be  brought  about  very  largely  through  the  efforts  of  the 
village  church  under  the  leadership  of  the  village  pastor.  It  is 
their  particular  problem  and  for  its  solution  they  are  especially 
responsible. 

A  considerable  portion  of  the  students  in  the  theological  sem- 
inary will  find  their  work  in  the  small  towns  and  villages.  The 
seminary  ought  to  give  them  some  training  for  this  work.  It 
ought  to  help  them  to  get  the  vision.  They  should  be  made  to 
realize  that  there  is  a  country  problem  and  they  ought  to  see  its 
importance  and  seriousness.  The  students  should  have  this  vision 
before  they  leave  the  seminary  and  not  wait  years  before  it  dawns 
upon  them  and  perhaps  live  half  their  lives  before  they  see  half 
their  work.  It  is  a  sad  fact  that  many  ministers  never  get  the 
vision.  They  busy  themselves  in  their  village  work  and  never  see 
the  larger  work  that  needs  to  be  done  and  can  be  done  in  the  sur- 
rounding country.  The  region  all  about  the  church  becomes  a 
moral  desolation  and  after  awhile  the  village  follows  suit,  for  the 
only  village  church  that  continues  to  be  strong  and  vigorous 
through  a  long  term  of  years,  is  the  one  that  is  buttressed  about  by 
a  strong  and  vigorous  country  work. 

It  is  a  good  omen  that  in  an  increasing  degree  the  attention  of 
the  people  is  being  called  to  this  matter  through  the  public  prints 
and  by  public  addresses  and  that  a  campaign  is  being  organized 
for  the  reclamation  and  proper  culture  of  the  country  districts. 
Should  there  not  be  special  courses  in  our  seminaries  for  the  train- 
ing of  young  men  for  this  special  work? 

Perhaps  a  brief  account  of  an  experiment  that  is  being  worked 
out  along  these  lines  may  not  be  amiss. 

A  church  in  a  small  village  of  about  seven  hundred  people  cele- 
brated the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  its  organization  by  striking  out 
on  new  lines  of  work.     It  was  composed  of  sturdy  people,  willing 


THE    REGISTER  21 

to  co-operate  in  any  sane  plan  for  the  promotion  of  the  Kingdom  of 
God.  The  pastor,  after  many  years  of  fairly  successful  work  in 
the  village  and  near-by  country,  conceived  the  idea  of  annexing  to 
the  parish  all  the  surrounding  territory  for  four  or  five  miles  in 
every  direction  from  the  church.  He  visited  all  the  families  out- 
side the  two  villages  in  that  territory  and  began  to  hold  week- 
night  meetings  in  the  different  schoolhouses  round  about  and  in 
private  homes.  There  was  at  first  no  definite  plan,  except  to 
serve  the  people  in  all  possible  ways.  But  the  vision  grew  in  ex- 
tent and  definiteness  as  the  church  and  pastor  were  obedient  to  it 
and  now,  after  a  year  and  a  half,  the  following  results  may  be 
noted : 

A  parish  eight  or  ten  miles  square,  containing  more  than  four 
hundred  families  and  not  far  from  two  thousand  souls.  An  as- 
sistant pastor  has  been  secured  and  regular  services  are  held  on  the 
Sabbath  in  nine  different  places — in  one  church,  three  chapels,  three 
schoolhouses  and  in  two  private  homes.  There  are  six  Sunday 
Schools  maintained  in  the  parish  with  an  attendance  of  more  than 
four  hundred.  There  is  a  good  response  of  the  people  in  these 
various  districts  and  the  two  pastors  address  not  far  from  five  hun- 
dred people  on  the  average  in  their  Sabbath  congregations. 

The  assistant  pastor,  a  young  unmarried  man,  has  organized 
athletic  clubs  among  the  young  men  and  boys  in  the  different  dis- 
tricts where  services  are  held  and  combined  them  in  an  Athletic 
League  for  the  whole  parish.  They  have  occasional  "meets"  on 
the  campus  of  the  central  village  and  they  spend  the  day  in  sports 
and  games  and  contests  and  in  this  way  he  is  getting  a  strong  hold 
on  that  portion  of  the  community. 

It  is  in  the  plan  of  the  pastor  to  organize  "Neighborhood 
Clubs"  in  the  various  districts  that  shall  be  social  centers  and  train- 
ing places  for  team  work  among  the  people  for  the  promotion  of 
their  common  interests.  He  proposes  to  arrange  a  system  of  lec- 
tures or  talks  by  experts  on  subjects  of  practical  interest,  such  as 
improved  methods  of  farming  and  fruit  culture,  talks  by  a  physician 
on  sanitation  and  health,  by  a  lawyer  on  legal  matters,  by  an  edu- 
cator on  school  interests,  accounts  of  travel,  etc.  With  these  talks 
and  lectures  he  hopes  to  go  to  these  various  places  about  once  a 
month  on  week  nights  and  thus  prove  to  the  people  that  the  church 


22  THE    REGISTER 

is  interested,  not  only  in  their  spiritual  welfare,  but  also  in  all 
things  that  come  into  their  life.  There  will  be  a  Central  Neigh- 
borhood Club  in  the  village  and  once  or  twice  a  year,  in  the  Spring 
and  in  the  Fall,  it  will  act  as  host  to  all  the  surrounding  clubs,  a 
day  being  spent  in  social  intercourse,  with  a  basket  dinner,  and  a 
program  of  speeches  and  music  and  usually  a  distinguished  speaker 
from  abroad  as  a  special  guest.  Thus  it  is  proposed  to  unify  the 
work  in  this  wide  parish  and  thus  to  work  together  for  the  promo- 
tion of  the  Kingdom  of  God  throughout  all  its  borders. 

This  is  in  brief  the  scheme  that  the  church  and  its  pastor  are 
attempting  to  work.  It  has  not  yet  passed  beyond  the  experi- 
mental stage,  but  it  is  working  out  with  fair  success  and  it  would 
seem  to  be  a  practicable  plan  for  village  and  country  work  in  many 
places.  At  least  we  hope  it  may  be  some  small  contribution  to  the 
solution  of  the  country  problem. 

The  pastor  each  week  edits  a  column  in  the  local  paper,  put- 
ting into  it  items  of  interest  about  the  work.  This  affords  a 
medium  of  communication  and  keeps  the  whole  matter  before  the 
attention  of  all  the  people  into  whose  homes  the  paper  comes. 


THE  NEBRASKA  MINISTERIAL  RETREAT. 

Edwin  Booth,  Jr.,  Minister,  Norfolk,  Nebraska. 

The  Nebraska  Congregational  Conference,  recently  in  session, 
gave  its  hearty  approval  to,  and  took  steps  to  perpetuate,  the  Ne- 
braska Ministerial  Retreat.  It  may  be  of  value  to  the  readers  of 
the  Register  to  know  something  of  this  institution,  particularly 
as  it  is  so  closely  identified  with  the  Extension  Department  of  the 
Seminary. 

The  movement  for  such  a  gathering  dates  from  the  Devo- 
tional Hour  of  the  19 10  Conference  assembled  at  my  Norfolk 
church.  President  Davis  conducted  that  hour  each  day,  giving  a 
series  of  expositions.  These  were  received  with  unusual  pleasure 
and  the  ministers  were  frequently  heard  to  express  a  wish  that 
some  way  could  be  provided  whereby,  undisturbed  by  Conference 
business,  such  study  together,  under  such  leadership,  might  be 
secured. 


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